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Apple gunning for parents' pockets with new WatchOS 5 walkie-talkie feature

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Jun 04, 2018, 1:29 PM

Apple gunning for parents' pockets with new WatchOS 5 walkie-talkie feature

Apple just unleashed what is perhaps the single most useful feature that will make parents go out and buy its Watch in droves - a walkie-talkie option. That's right, those cheapo Chinese smartwatches that allow you to track your kid and chat with them for pennies on the dollar through your carrier of choice will now have one giant competitor - Apple.

The new WatchOS 5 lets the timepiece connect with another person carrying an Apple Watch either via cellular connection (Series 3), or with Wi-Fi, for an instant, real-time conversations.

The corresponding Apple Watch will get a notification that it will be used in walkie-talkie mode with another one, and if it accepts, the two Watch-buddies will be idling away the hours with pointless convos in no time.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.